Service-t.



P. MUELLER,I

SERVICE T.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. e, 1910.

Patented May 23, 1911.

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PuJ 1D l 1 ,STATEs--PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP MUELLEmoF DCA'IUR; ILLINOIS, Assieivon To THE n., MUELLEB MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, or `.DECa'i:im., ILLINOIS, A ConronATIoN or ILLINOIS.

SERVICE-T.

Specification o1' Letters Patent. .Patented :Mayy 2.3, 19.11.

Appliatio'n/aiea august a, 1910. 'semi in. 576,160.

` VTo all whom' it ma/y concern:

' Be it known that I, PIIi'LieMUELLnm'a l citizen" of the United States, residin at Decatur, in the county of Macon and tate of 5 Illinois,l havejinveted newA and useful linprovements in Service-Tis, of which the fol? lowing isa specification.,

My invention-relates particularly one form of pipe fittings, to wit, a service T `for makingconnections to gas or other fluid mains though, as' will appearhereinafter, it

may well beI tings. In making connections to a main, a service'clamp is'iappliedto the ,maina service T is threaded into' vthe tapp'er' boss of' the clamp, and then a drilling machine is used to tap the main, the machine 'being applied 'to the T, and the ldrill operating through 4its alined branches. After the main ,has

4been tapped and-the drilly removed, a considerable rush of gas or other fluid from the main takes place if the'seivice fitting is not 'provided 'with means for closing the outlet before the' drill is entirely removed.- If

tirely. Particularly is this true in the case.V

plugs are used a great rush of fluid takes place when they are removed and the proper attachment of a branch pipe from' the out- -let is' interfered with, if not prevented en- I of gas mains, and when the main is'tapped and the workmen have to applythe fittings at the bottom of the rather deep excavation thus exposing themselves to the escaped gas which is confined within the excavation within'which they yare working applied to other formsof fit-4 Before the drilling operation,l the4 sideopening of the service T, or the opening for the service, must be plugged-up' so as to Y 40 preventl the gas from escaping while'drill-` ing, and after the hole is drilled, themachine, together with the. drill, is "removed from the service T and the stopper orpplug is quickly vscrewed into the service, to

`415 shut off the gas. This having been done .the

side plug is removed and the service pipe's i installed. After the service pipes have been and is replaced by a re installed the stopper, or plug which had been inserted after the drilling, is removed lar plug for the top of the service T, thus caving vthe full opening for the passage of' gas into the service 'T vfrom the main, through the service lT stopping this flow of gas have been devised the stopping of'a T with earth, or with a packing which is removed by a suitable tool, after the branch connection has been made.l None of Jthese methods are satisfactory, as

stances introduces foreign matter into the connections, whic remains there to be carconne'ction is established and put in use. Besides impeding the flow of fluid through the pipes, this foreign matter, particularly in gas and water pipes, is very likely to be carried along with the moving fluid and to clog at some small bend or at some small branch connection; Wooden plugs, are also very frequently used, but they are open to the objection that they leak, being often cut irregularly by the fitter-himself, 'and to the objection that when the pressure on the -flooding everything with water before they can be replaced.l The attachment of a service T or similar fitting is thus often attended with considerable annoyance due to these 'troubl es.

It is the object of my invention to make a service T which can be 4readily attached without these annoyances. I accomplish formingja se'at within the fitting and just beyond the inlet opening thereto, and"pro. viding a special form of plug to t the seat and stop the inlet opening.y In-the service T there are-three openings, an inlet, an outlet, and a drill opening, which latter is prefer fto form the entire seat on the same right'line as the inlet' and drill opening, and insert the plug from the drill opening, proit-may be easily manipulated from the outside.

and into theservice pipes. In other words,-

beinglzovercome by gas.y Various means forv their use often results in only apartial stoppage in the How of gas, and in most inried into the branch connection when thatl usually in a right line with the inlet. If

and used by plumbers, such for instance, as.

main is high, they sometimes are forced out,

this by a simple but effective method of viding it with a long stem,'or handle so thatn ,l My invention will be clearly understood,

and-its advantages more fully realized from the following description taken in connection with the; accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention applied to a serivce T. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a view of the plug which constitutes an ele-- ment of my invention. Figs. 4 and 5 are central sections of modifications.

Referring to the drawing," 10 is the body of the service T, which has an inlet 11, a drill hole 12 in a right line therewith, and an voutlet `13 at an angle thereto. The inlet 11 is exteriorly screw-threaded .for the vinsertion into thevtapped main, while the drill opening 12 is interiorly screw-threaded, as shown, foi-'the attachment of a drilling apparatus and subsequent insertion of a standard pipe plug to close the opening after the l drilling operation. The outlet y13 is interiorly screw-threaded for the attachment of the branch or service connection.

On the interior of the inlet I form a tapering seat 14, terminating it short 'of the mouth 15 of the inlet. Preferably I thread this seat 14, the threads being of the same extent as the seat. Y

`16. is a plug member which has its lower end shaped and screw-threaded to fit the seat 1 4, while its upper end is provided with, an operating handle 17.

In use my invention is manipulated as follows: fter the. drilling, and after the drill has been removed, the plug member 16 ,is inserted through .the drill opening, and the plug is then screwed home. By reason of the fact that the seat' is tapering and of the fact that the seat and itsscrew-threads terminate'short of the mouth of the ling-let, the plug always makes a tight closure of the opening, and is prevented from being` entered so faras to pass it entirely through the inlet and into the main, in which case, of course, leakage would result, and the plug` might be hard to withdraw. The handle h17 is ofample proportions and the plug may be firmly screwed in. The flow of fluid through the connection being thus effectually stopped the branch connection may be attached readily and without annoyance, as

'muchtime being taken for the attachment of it as is necessary to properly do so, and to run the branch connection to the point desired. I'Ilaereafter'fthe plug member 16 may be removed anda'standard pipe plug inserted in the drill opening 12 to close the opening. rIhe branch connection is 'then ready for service. v

My invention as'thus proposed has been found mosteliicient and useful in practice, The plug'member l16"is an addition to the plumbers kit of tools which he frequently lfinds -occasion to use. With` service Ts made in accordance with my invention, their attachment to the service main is greatly simplified and a source of trouble, heretofore proven most vexatious to plumbers, avoided. When several taps are to be made by gas companies theyregularly employ special 'men for that specific Vpurpose `and i tion of the service connections, at their con-.

veuience without detaining the tapper. It may also be noted that since the use of high pressure gas, this makes a helpful, convenient and safe gas fitting.' The manufacture of service Ts with the especially formed seat inside of the inlet is not muchmore eX? pensive than the manufactureof the standard T as now made. In fact the increased cost of manufacture will be practically negy ligihle. rlhe plug member 16 constitutes an addition to the plumbers kit, and is likewise inexpensive as. it can be made of cast iron and comparatively light.V As standard service Ts are for the most part of one size it will be necessary to carry at most only two or three of these plug members. It is thus evident that my invention finds a Wide practical range of use, and is most valuable for Ithe purpose intended.

` In Figs. 4 and 5 I show two modificationsof my invention. That of Fig. 4 consists in forming the screw threads of the plug and seat straight instead of tapering and forming the seat separate from and above the screw threaded portion. 18 designates the screw threaded portion. 19 the tapered valve seat and 2O the tapered portion of the plug coperating therewith. That of Fig.- 5 differs from- Fig. 4 in that the straight threadedportion is not associated with the seat portion, but is on the upper part of the stem of the plug and engages the outer end|- of the casing. The seat and lower coperating end ofI the plug are roundingly tapered as shown. This permits easy .alinement W'hile I have illustrated the best form of of the seat'and plug may be varied to suit.

various conditions. For instance, for low pressure the seat and plug may be formed tapering and without screw-threads, the seat being ground or accurately cut a standard size whichthe plug will accurately fit.

Many other changes will suggest them- .my invention now known to me, it is obvious A having a shank adapted to extend through `the drill opening and clear of the casing,

i move and a drill opening on a right line with said Atoward the mouth of said inlet and terminat- 'f' ing short of the same, the axis of said seat conciding'with the right line of the inlet zthe same, the axis o ing a portlon tapered andl t readed correa shank v adapted to extend through'the dril selves to the skilled mechanicfand all such'- l said glug member being adaptedto' be rethrough said drill opening.

2.A A service T:ehaving an inlet,.-an outlet inlet, and a tapering screw-threaded plug seat formed inside saidinlet, and tapering and drill opening, and aplu member hav-V spondingly to said seat,` and having v pemng,

and clear of the casing, said 'drill opening and casing being adapted to permlt -the l.

ready removal of the the drill opening.

3. A service T having an inlet, -anvoutlet plug member through and a drill opening on a right line with said vinlet, and a ta eringscrew-threaded plug vseat formed .inside said inlet, and tapering toward the mouth of said'pnlet and ter1niV nating short of the same, the axis of said seat coinciding 'with said right line of the inlet anddrill-opening in combination with a plug member formed and screw-threaded to fit said seat, and having a shank adapted lto, extend through the frillopening and clear of the casing, and a handle on the end of the shank; 'the said easing being adapted tov .V permit the ready. removal 'of the said plug member through the drill opening.

In 'testimony whereof I havehereunto set witnesses. Y p

. rHILIP MUELLER. i fWitnesses: 1

LEONARD F. MoKiBBnN, 4 WILLIAM R. BmpLE.

my hand in `presence of two subscribing 

